1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fishing reel, and more particularly to a fishing reel that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain and which has improved performance characteristics relative to the prior art devices designed for essentially the same purpose, the fishing reel having a smooth, quite, non-interrupted, and improved direct drive for the spool, and an adjustable drag sub-assembly, each of which imparts enhanced operational characteristics to the fishing reel under a variety of fishing conditions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the activities most enjoyed by outdoor enthusiasts is that of fishing. With the advent of improved high performance rods and reels, and the development of a variety of other lightweight tackle and assorted accessories, this sport has recently gained new popularity and is now enjoyed by relatively large numbers of sportsmen of all levels of fishing ability.
Whether the angler is a relative novice or an experienced veteran, all fishermen tend to agree that one of the most important considerations to take into account when purchasing their respective fishing reel is the ease with which the fishing reel can be handled; that is, the ability for the reel to be quickly adjusted in a variety of different fashions to permit the angler to "play" the fish he is trying to catch. Fishermen of all levels of ability also readily recognize that it is highly desirable to have a fishing reel which utilizes a drag sub-assembly which is adapted to impart frictional resistance to the spool for the purposes of slowing the rotation of the spool as the fishing line is stripped therefrom after a fish has "struck" the lure and taken the fishing line on a "run", and in addition providing the added feature of preventing line "overrun."
The beneficial effects of employing a fishing reel having a drag sub-assembly have been known for some time. As a general matter, drag sub-assemblies of various operational configurations have been developed for essentially the same purpose; that is, for engaging the spool to slow its rotation and thus exhaust the particular fish. In some of these devices, for example, various brake assemblies are employed, which engage the spool or other sub-assembly for the purpose of imparting or transmitting frictional resistance to the spool.
While the prior art is replete with numerous fishing reels and assorted drag sub-assemblies that produce numerous laudable results, including providing means for rapidly adjusting the amount of drag imparted to the spool of the fishing reel, they have also suffered from a multiplicity of drawbacks which have detracted from their usefulness. For example, some of the prior art fishing reels employ a complex drag sub-assembly which utilizes a rather complex gear arrangement. This is most accurately illustrated by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 2,162,726 to King. Although these designs are somewhat effective, they have a drawback inasmuch as it is generally the case that they impart frictional resistance to the spool when it is rotated in either the line retrieval direction or the line dispensing direction. Therefore, it is usually necessary for the fisherman to release the drag sub-assembly when retrieving the line. Moreover, these various devices usually are difficult to repair and are frequently cumbersome to employ when being used on a fish that is putting up a fight.
Still other significant problems with the prior art devices result from characteristics inherent in their design. For example, such prior art fishing reels often have cranks or other transmission assemblies which are directly mounted to the spool, the cranks being adapted to rotate the spool in a line retrieval direction. As should be appreciated, this physical arrangement of the spool and the crank usually works quite well when utilized to retrieve the fishing line. However, it is not a very satisfactory arrangement when the fishing line is being stripped from the spool at a high rate of speed after a fish has struck the lure. Anglers of all levels of ability understand that in this situation, it is frequently the case that the fisherman's thumb is struck by the rapidly revolving crank, thus causing some discomfort.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have a fishing reel which mounts a drag sub-assembly which imparts frictional resistance to the spool when it is rotated in a line dispensing direction only, the fishing reel further mounting a handle which imparts rotational movement to the fishing reel in the line retrieval direction but which further is adapted, immediately, to disengage from the spool and remain motionless when the spool is rotated in a line dispensing direction.